


the shelter of magnolias

by interstellarbeams



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: AU, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Great Depression, Southern Gothic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8390932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Kate Fuller never expected to live an exciting life in small town Texas, until she met a stranger on a dark road and her whole life got turned upside down. The only problem? He might not be who he says he is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artemidos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemidos/gifts).



> Thanks to Nora ([GreenFish](http://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenFish)) for being my beta, again, and to Brianna ([ladyannabethstark](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyannabethstark)) for listening to me vent about this fic and SethKate in general.

Bethel, Texas 

Summer 1932

 

It was nearing close to dusk when Kate Fuller was walking home that muggy summer night. She had just left her last client’s house, where she was teaching the local children piano lessons for a small fee, and was nearing the old Jackson mansion. Giant, ancient oak trees reached their knobby arms draped with Spanish moss, across the dirt road where she was kicking up dust with her ratty, worn down walking shoes. She was daydreaming about all the grand balls that must have been housed in that former grandiose house. All the glittering guests who would have been having the time of their lives, twirling around the giant ballroom like magnolia blooms floating down the Trinity River. There were no more balls or grand affairs anywhere in this county, or even in the country; not after the beginning of the Great Depression almost three full years ago. 

Humming along to a tune that only she could hear, she almost failed to notice the light shining out of the windows of the mansion as she made her way past it. _That’s weird,_ she thought to herself, _that house has been abandoned for at least 30 years._ Her momma used to tell her of its long history, of how it had been a cotton planter’s house since the end of the Texas Revolution, been occupied by the Yankees during the Civil War and then turned into a hospital not long after that, then converted back into a residence in the early 1900s. 

_Who could be in that rundown mansion at this time of night?_

Curiosity getting the better of her, she took a firmer grip on her lesson books and made to sneak closer when all of a sudden she heard a loud crack, as if a gun had gone off. Whirling around, Kate gasped, as a tall figure towered over her. 

“Oh, I’m really sorry, miss! I didn’t mean to frighten you, it was a stick you see? I stepped on it with these big ol’ boots of mine.” he apologized.

“Oh! Oh, no, it’s fine. I just--I wasn’t expecting to see anybody else this late at night,” she exclaimed.

“I’m just new around here and I was wondering if you could tell me which road leads into town. I honestly didn’t mean to scare you. Miss…?” he questioned, as his gorgeous brown eyes trained on her green ones.

“Oh, um,” she debated on whether to tell him her name. He was a stranger after all, but she figured anyone who was that polite couldn’t be all bad, “Miss Katherine Fuller, but my friends call me Kate. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”  She curtsied for him quickly.

He continued to eye her for a brief moment, until she remembered the first question he had asked.

“Oh!  Of course, yes, Bethel is that way,” she said, pointing north, in the direction of where she had been heading. “I can walk with you if you like. It’s no trouble.”

“Sure,” he agreed. “I’d like that very much, _Kate_.” She felt her cheeks warming at the sound of him using her first name.

Smiling, he gave her a sideways look, as if he was taking his measure of her. 

It wasn’t as if she was much to look at; her hair was probably all over the place after such a busy day, she was dressed in her second-to-worst dress, and her shoes were coated in dirt from traveling up and down the dusty road all day. The strange man, on the other hand, looked impeccably clean shaven, hair combed and not a speck of lint on his jacket. The only evidence of this harsh economic time were the shiny, fresh patches sewn to his elbows and the mismatched buttons on his shirt.

“Did you sew those on yourself?” she surprised herself by asking. “I mean, I’m sorry, that was probably rude of me. I just couldn’t help noticing that your buttons don’t match. Forgive me.”

“It’s okay, little lady. I did,” he admitted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone to look after me. My wife passed on about five years ago, and my mamma about ten years before that.  I’m left to do all the mending for me and my brother. I really don’t have an eye for fashion, I’m afraid,” he laughed, self deprecatingly.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry if I brought up any bad memories.” she blushed, ducking her head. “I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. It’s just that we don’t get many visitors way out here in Bethel.”

“It - it’s fine. It was really just a marriage of convenience with Vanessa and -- as for my Mamma, she uh-- she’s in a better place now, trust me.” 

Kate couldn’t help but notice how his forehead creased as he mentioned his mother.  He seemed to be holding on to a lot of pain, whether he admitted it or not.

_ Who was this mysterious stranger?  _

“Well, this is me,” Kate said. She stopped in front of a gate that led up to a small, yellow house with a gas lamp burning in the front window. “I’m sure my Daddy’s been lookin’ for me. I usually get home much earlier than this,” she admitted, glancing down at her wrist watch. 

“Town is just over that hill,” she added, as she motioned northwards.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Katherine Fuller, and thank you for all your help,” he smiled.

Offering her hand, he took it, the barest brush of his fingers against her palm sent a jolt through her. 

“Goodnight,“ he said, with a wink. 

“Goodnight.”

She stood watching him, one hand on the gate, as he ambled down the road, stopping by a neighbor’s fence post to snatch up a wood sorrel flower and pop one of the pods in his mouth.

Shaking her head at her obvious enchantment with this mysterious stranger, she opened the gate and made her way up the path and onto the porch.

“Daddy,” she called out as she closed the front door on the humid night, “are you home?”

“Kate? I’m back here, honey,” she heard her father call from his study.

Laying her handbag and books on the foyer table, she hurried down the hall.

“How was your night, Daddy?” she questioned, crossing over to her father to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Huh? Oh...it was fine, dear. I’ve just been working on this sermon for Sunday’s service. Did you have a good day, sweetheart? Anything eventful happen?” he asked, turning in his chair to look at her.

Usually Kate would have told her Daddy the truth about meeting the stranger on the road. Normally, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought. 

Tonight was different, though.

Maybe it was because she had met the handsome stranger - or perhaps not, but she told her daddy a silly little white lie about one of her students, kissed him once more, and headed up the narrow stairs to bed.

Instead of getting down on her knees and asking her Father to forgive her for that lie, she lay in bed, thinking about that handsome stranger.

Was it a sin if she couldn’t help but think about that spark between them?  _ Had she been the only one who had felt it? _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Nora ([GreenFish](http://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenFish)) for all her beta work and to Brianna ([ladyannabethstark](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyannabethstark)) for encouraging me, always.

Bethel, Texas

Summer 1932

  
Seth Gecko hadn’t expected meeting a pretty girl on a dusky road in the middle of the evening on a Thursday night. Especially one who seemed extraordinarily interested in what was going on at his temporary hideout. It wasn’t her fault the idiots he worked with left a candle so close to the window.  _Imbeciles_. He was going to have to have a good long talk with his brother about the idiots he had hired.

Seth reacted the only way he knew how; he stepped on a stick to garner her attention and then got her out of the vicinity as soon as humanly possible. He liked to think it was his superb gift of gab that had drawn her in; or maybe it was his good looks - he’d been told he had a very handsome face. Richie was usually the one saying so, mockingly, but he’s used to it, if the admiring glances that are thrown his way when he walks down the street are any clue.

When he called this girl, Kate pretty, he realized he was being wildly modest. She was gorgeous, and utterly mesmerizing; he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her eyes were a sparkling green, and her mouth curved up at the corners.  He loved the way a beautiful blush crept up onto her cheeks when she accidentally insulted his sewing skills.

He was almost sad to see her go, as they stopped off in front of her cheerful yellow house, the light from the lamp leaving a stripe of illumination across the lawn.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Katherine Fuller, and thank you for all your help.” _God, he sounded like such a sap._ But he couldn’t help but smile at her obvious delight in helping out a stranger.

It seemed a hell of a shame to not get the chance to touch something so beautiful, so when she reached out a hand for him to shake, he took it. Hell, if it didn’t rock him to his core when he felt a jolt as his fingertips grazed hers.

_Wow._

Turning away from her, because he couldn’t just wait around outside her house like some kind of creep, he walked down the road and headed back toward his original destination. Keeping a steady pace until he made it to the edge of the town, he slowed down then, so as not to catch any unwarranted attention.

Walking past a tiny shoe shop and an even tinier soda shop, he stopped in front of a bulletin board, glancing around furtively before he reached up to snatch down his and his brother’s wanted posters.

_It might be a good idea to ditch the name Gecko before someone catches on._

Pulling his lighter out of his pocket, he quickly set the flimsy papers alight and tossed them to the ground, stomping on them for good measure. Making sure no one was paying him any undue attention, as it was kind of  late for anyone reputable to be out, he strolled off down the main street, whistling a merry tune.  

Richie had told Seth to meet him at _Sam’s,_ this tiny town’s one and only bar. They needed to have a conversation about what was next for them, now that they were on the run.

_Business has been slow for way too long, we need another mark. We can’t survive off of whatever scraps we can pick up from Uncle Eddie, not in these hard times,_ Richie had said.

Making his way inside, he stopped in the doorway to survey the crowd for his brother.

“Hey, Seth! You got a light?” Richie asked, from his place at the bar, a unlit cigarette dangling from his fingers.

“Seriously? You couldn’t ask any other jackass in here for a light? You gotta bug me?”

“You’re my favorite jackass to bug, brother.” Richie said with a smirk.

“Shut up, ya punk!” Seth responded, fondly, ruffling his brother’s perfectly coiffed hair.

“Hey!” Now it was Seth’s turn to smirk. “Fair’s fair, _brother_.”

Ordering a whiskey from the bartender, he motioned his brother over to a more secluded table, taking his seat facing the door, as usual.

_Don’t want to be taken unawares or overheard. You never know who could be hanging around looking for a scoop._

“Richie, guess what I just found hanging up on that bulletin board down the street? Our _fuckin’_ wanted posters!” he whispered, authoritatively. “Good thing I had the sense enough to get rid of ‘em. We don’t need any more coppers on our tails, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my neck stretched from here to next Tuesday.”

“Relax, Seth,” Richie responded smoothly. “I got it all handled just fine. We’ll just blend in with the common folk here.” Richie gestured to the clientele in the tiny bar.

Now, Seth wasn’t the type of person to assume that he was above anyone else’s station, he was a thief after all, but he didn’t _want_ to belong to the crowd of people hanging around this bar. These were men who lived paycheck to paycheck, handing most of their hard earned wages over to their wives for mundane things, such as groceries or shoes. He liked to have a little more _fun_ with his stolen money.

But right now, he decided he'd rather stay alive than argue with his brother, who for once, was actually right, the bastard.

“Alright,” Seth agreed, “but I think we should start by changing our last name to something less conspicuous. Something else that starts with a ‘G’ -- _Green, Griffin, Graham _\-- I don’t care. I just don’t want any more screw ups.”__

_Speaking of screw ups…_

Seth leaned over the table suddenly, and whacked Richie upside the head.

“Son of a bitch! What’d ya do that for?” Richie yelled, almost upsetting his beer bottle in his haste to get to his feet.

“That?” Seth growled. “That is for those idiots you hired.” He stuck his finger in his brother’s face. “Tonight, as I was leaving the hideout, I saw a girl sneaking around outside the place. She must have seen the light those imbeciles you hired left near a window. Rein them in please.”

“Alright, alright. God.” Richie said, as Seth got up out of his chair, swallowing the last of his whiskey and straightening his jacket.

“I’ll see you later. I gotta figure some things out.” Making his way to the door, he tossed one more look around the place before walking out into the humid night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Nora ([GreenFish](http://archiveofourown.org/GreenFish)) for her beta help, that she's willing to give, despite her busy schedule.
> 
> We're one chapter closer to Kate meeting the mysterious stranger again. ;)

When Kate woke up the next morning, she was running late. Gasping, she shot up out of the bed and ran into the bathroom to wash up quickly, scrubbing only the necessary areas before dashing back into her bedroom to throw on her underwear, stockings and dress. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and snatched her shoes up from where she had left them the night before.

  
She walked down the hall to her father’s bedroom, carefully opened the door and snuck over to the dresser in the dim light. Knowing the perfume bottle by feel rather than sight she picked it up and quietly left the room.

  
It was her Momma’s old favorite, _Joy_ by Jean Patou. It was wonderfully floral and had been expensive when her daddy had bought it for her Momma on their 25th wedding anniversary. He would be very disappointed in her if he knew she was using it. It reminded him so much of her mother that he would spray it on one of her handkerchiefs and carry it around in his pocket, as a reminder of her. But it reminded Kate of her momma too, and she felt like she would need that comfort today.

  
Heading down the stairs, she grabbed an apple from the bowl in the kitchen, snatched up her handbag and lesson books off the foyer table and left the house, headed to the church for her first lesson of the day.

  
Her wealthier clients usually had their own pianos, housed inside grand parlors or dining rooms, the walls covered in mirrors, reflecting her image back at her. It made her uncomfortable to look at herself, almost as if she would become vain if she continued to gaze at herself. _Who is the fairest of them all?_ Maybe it was all in her head, but it seemed like some kind of backward fairytale.

  
Her regular students would meet her at the church; all in a line sitting on the first pew, each whispering to their neighbor and fidgeting while waiting their turn. Their little faces would already be smudged with dirt from their morning walk to the church, their bare legs sticking to the wooden pew in the heat. She preferred these working days better, as she could just be herself, teasing and laughing with the students when they made a mistake. There weren’t any nosy servants or parents judging her every move. Just her, her students and a piano.

  
Today wasn’t any different than any ordinary day, except that she kept finding herself thinking about the stranger she had met on the road last night. There was the way his eyes had lit up with amusement when she had accidentally insulted him. And how his hand-sewn clothes sat on him so well: the cotton of his shirt molding to his chest, the sleeves of his jacket pushed up, revealing tanned forearms. It was enough to make a girl feel faint, as if it wasn't already boiling in the sweltering church, the open door lending not even a smidgen of relief.

  
Mentally shaking herself, Kate forced herself to focus on the task at hand, as she offered a smile to the freckled little girl sitting next to her on the creaky piano bench. Humming along with the melody in an effort to help her student, at first, Kate found herself singing along:

  
_Eternal Father, strong to save,_  
_Whose arm does bind the restless wave,_  
_Who bids the mighty ocean deep_  
_Its own appointed limits keep;_  
_O hear us when we cry to Thee_  
_For those in peril on the sea_

  
_Eternal Father, Strong To Save_ had been one of her Momma’s favorite hymns. It reminded Kate of her mother teaching piano on Sunday afternoons when she was a little girl. Their tiny parlor smelled of the remains of their Sunday dinner, sweetened by the apple pie her Momma had baked for dessert. Kate would hear the sounds of the neighborhood children laughing as they played in the road, floating through the open window.

  
Kate had often watched longingly as the other children her age ran by, playing tag and picking the roadside flowers. She had always wanted to be out there among them, but her mother would admonish her. _Kate, this is for your betterment, honey. One day when you're a preacher’s wife, it will be your job to play the chords every Sunday._

  
But Kate didn't care about being a preacher’s wife; she just wanted to have fun and be carefree like all the other kids.

  
Looking back on it now, she was thankful that her mother had given her this gift. Whenever she was lonely, or especially missing her Momma, those memories made her feel closer. Her Momma had died a few years earlier; consumption, her daddy had said, but Kate had her own suspicions. Her momma hadn't acted at all like herself those few months before she died. Crying and raging all at once, her mood changing as swiftly as a cloud covering the sun; it seemed there was something more that had led to her Momma leaving them.

  
Finding herself distracted once again, Kate decided to let the children head outside to enjoy the sparse dinners their parents had packed for them in baskets, buckets and napkins, as they tucked up underneath the shade of the church's small porch to keep cool.

  
Taking a bite out of her apple, Kate sat back down on the old piano bench. She placed her fingers on the keys, and started playing another familiar hymn, _Amazing Grace_. Losing herself in the music, she didn't look up again until the piano gave a discordant sound. Playing the same strains over again resulted in the same abrupt noise. Groaning -- _What now? It's not like this church is made of money_ \-- she got to her feet. Calling the children back inside, she told them that they were allowed to leave early, because the piano was on the fritz. Instructing them to tell their parents that she wouldn't charge them for the entire session, Kate watched the children as they trailed out the door. Clumping into groups of twos and threes, and sticking close by their particular friends and neighbors. Watching them go made her miss her best friend, Jessica, who had just married and moved away in the spring.

  
Kate knew she was lonely; with her mother dead, her best friend off in Georgia with her new husband, and her brother away with the Army, she longed for company. Being the preacher’s daughter didn't give her much of a chance to make friends, as many girls thought that she would be too judgmental, and not understand their desires to go out and have fun on a Saturday night. She felt lost, out on the fringes of society, now that many of her school friends were wives and mothers. _Where was her place now?_

  
Gathering up her things, she locked the doors and turned down the road leading to her house. She would probably have to wait a few hours for her father to get home so she could tell him about the discordant piano. He would probably have to call a piano repairman and have the company send him out tomorrow. They would need the piano to be in working order as soon as possible. The church couldn’t have the Sunday service without hymns.

  
Figuring it wouldn't be a travesty if she didn't head home right away, Kate turned to walk into town instead. Maybe there would be a letter at the post office waiting for her, she thought excitedly. Her older brother, Scott, usually sent her one once a week. It was a kind of treat for her to receive his correspondence at the end of every week.

  
Arriving at the post office, Kate walked in and stood in the short line. The woman in front of her was holding a baby to her shoulder. The baby catching sight of Kate started smiling, dimples appearing in her cheeks. Kate was charmed. She loved babies. Maybe one day she would have one of her own. She waved at the baby as her mother finished her business and headed toward the door. Kate stepped up to receive her letter. She was looking down to put her letter inside her purse, and as she exited the door, she abruptly collided with a gentleman that was about her age.

  
“Oh my goodness. I’m sorry, I didn't mean to run into you, sir.” Kate apologized, flustered. _When would she learn to have more grace?_

  
“It's okay, miss.” He smiled at her, the bright rays of the sun reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. As he turned to walk away she caught sight of the unusual buttons on his shirt.

  
“Excuse me? Sir?” Kate ventured, smiling politely.

  
“Yes, ma’am?”

  
“Oh, um, I’m sorry.” Kate bit down on her lip, nervously. “You remind me of someone, is all. Nevermind.”

  
Nodding his head in acknowledgment of her apology he continued on his way.

  
_Strange, those buttons looked like the ones that stranger on the road had on his shirt._

  
Shrugging to herself, Kate made her way home.

  
After telling her father about the piano that needed to be repaired, Kate fixed them a quick meal of rice and black eyed peas, and headed up to her bedroom. Opening the French doors that led off of her bedroom, she gazed out at the hazy orange sunset, wondering if she would ever come across the mysterious man again. Perhaps he had moved on like so many other people had in these hard times. Was he looking at the same sunset right now?

  
Removing her dress and exchanging it for a sleeveless rosebud print nightgown, Kate sat on her bed to brush her hair. Laying down on the bed she sighed at the coolness of the sheets against her flushed skin. Cupping the pillow to her cheek she turned over on her side and watched as the last rays of the sun disappeared down her bedroom wall.

  
_She felt warm. Flushed. Yet her skin was covered in goosebumps._

_  
Gasping, she felt the rasp of his stubble against her neck, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake._

_  
His lips claimed hers as she felt his hands stroke up her sides, his thumb barely brushing across the underside of her breast before she cried out his name --_

  
Kate wrenched up in bed, her hand pressed to where her heart pounded in her chest. Her hair, brushing the back of her neck, was soaked with sweat. She was embarrassed to realize she was damp in another area as well.

  
She felt strangely bereft, like she had lost something, but the stranger was someone she didn't know, and probably never would. Kate dropped her head into her hands, feeling ashamed, but also aroused by her dream.

  
_Oh God, what do I do?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The second meeting, I know you've been waiting for it! Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving to those Americans celebrating it this week! :)

The next morning, Kate woke to the sound of her alarm clock going off. The shrill tone made her groan and pull the pillow over her head, but only a few seconds later, she removed it to stop the annoying noise. Turning over onto her back, Kate recalled the dream she had the night before. She felt ashamed, bringing her hands up to cool her burning cheeks. Kate scolded herself over her impure thoughts as she picked up her Bible for her morning devotion.

  
Suddenly, her father knocked abruptly on her bedroom door.

  
“Katie-cakes? Are you decent?” her father asked, his voice muffled by the thick wood.

  
“Daddy! What is it?” Kate huffed, dropping her Bible onto her rumpled bed.

  
“Honey? I need to talk to you real quick,” her father responded.

  
Sighing, Kate got up and put on her robe. As she opened the door, the squeak of the hinges was the only sound in the house. _It used to feel so much more like home with Momma making breakfast in the kitchen, and Scott whistling in the yard as he went about his chores._

  
“Yes, Daddy?” Kate asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  
“I wanted to tell you that I called that piano repairman, and he's going to be over at the church in an hour. Can you meet with him? I've gotta bring some of our eggs and vegetables out to the Miller’s. They've got that new baby and three other youngsters to feed, I think they can use a little of our charity,” her father explained.

  
“That's sweet of you, Daddy. Just make sure to save some for us to eat. It won't do us any good if you don't start eating more. Then who will read the Scriptures on Sunday?” Kate said, smiling at him cheekily, despite the gravity of the situation. Many people were turning to charity lately, because it was getting harder and harder to find adequate food, especially for large families.

  
Quickly kissing him on the cheek, she went to get ready for her day.

  
Searching her closet for an appropriate dress, she decided on a flowered cotton dress, lavender with white flowers and pearl buttons. One of her nicest dresses, her daddy and momma had given it to her for her birthday a few years back. The seams were becoming shiny with wear, but it was still one of her favorites. She didn't have any extra money to buy new cloth at the moment, and even if she did, it would be rare to find any in her little town of Bethel.

  
Brushing her hair and pinning on a simple straw hat with velvet violets as the only decoration, Kate applied a dab of her momma’s perfume, and then pulled on her only pair of gloves. Usually she saved the gloves for Sundays, but she thought it wouldn't hurt to look her best when representing her daddy's church. She was the pianist as well as the piano teacher, after all.

  
Heading down the stairs, the threadbare carpet not doing anything to muffle the sound of her heels, she made her way to the front door.

  
“Katie? Hold on a minute,” her daddy called from down the hall, as he came towards her. “Let me drive you, we don't want you getting that nice dress all dusty.”

  
“Daddy, that's okay. Gas is expensive enough without you wasting it on me. It’s a fine mornin’. I'll be fine.” Kate tried to dissuade him.

  
“Nonsense, honey. Besides I gotta leave for the Millers, anyways. Might as well take you along.” Grabbing his hat from the coat rack and placing it on his head, he opened the front door and let her precede him.

  
***

  
Watching her daddy drive off, Kate shielded her eyes against the sunrise, before turning and entering the church. It was still cool and dim inside, despite the sun being already hot and heavy in the early morning sky.

  
Walking down the aisle, the pews to either side, Kate felt a shiver up her spine suddenly, but not from cold. _Was it some kind of portent of something to come?_

  
_I must be outta my mind._ Kate thought. Pulling off her gloves, one at a time, she placed her hat next to them on the communion table. _There's nothing to be worried about. God will protect me._

  
Turning once more, she jumped, as she caught the sight of someone standing in the doorway, his silhouette backlit by the sun.

  
***

  
Stopping in the doorway to the church, it took Seth’s eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness, but once he could see again, he was surprised to see the little lady he had met on the road a few days before. She was even more breathtaking than he had remembered, the sun illuminating her eyes, her dress caressing every curve.

  
A mischievous smile lit up his face. “Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Katherine Fuller. What a coincidence.”

  
“You!” Kate sputtered, her heart rising up into her throat. “What are _you_ doing here?”

  
“I could ask you the same thing. Are you following me?” Seth teased, as he moved closer to Kate's position in front of the pulpit.

  
“Following _you_? You were the one who snuck up on _me_! Kate said, indignantly.

  
“If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one sneaking around the other night.” Seth replied, a twinkle appearing in his deep brown eyes.

  
Kate stood, arms crossed over her chest, staring at him accusingly.

  
“Alright, alright,” Seth said, placating, bringing his hands up in a “I surrender” pose. “Let’s agree to disagree.”

  
“Fine.” Kate agreed, eying him warily.

  
_What is he doing here?_

  
“Let me start over,” Seth responded, crossing the rest of the space between them. Sticking his hand out he introduced himself. “Mister Seth Ge- _Griffin_ , at your service.”

  
Shaking his hand, for the second time, Kate couldn't help but remember the dream from the night before. Ducking her head, embarrassed by her own thoughts, she quickly dropped his hand and moved away from him.

  
Clearing her throat, nervously, Kate asked. “What are you doin’ here, anyway?”

  
“Oh, forgive me. I failed to mention that I'm the piano repairman. Your daddy called me to come fix y’all’s piano.” Seth explained.

  
Still slightly distrustful of his appearance, _strange_ since she hadn't been able to get him off her mind, Kate motioned towards the piano sitting on the small dais, to the side of the pulpit.

  
As he made his way over to the piano, Seth removed his jacket and casually threw it over the first pew. Kate's mouth grew dry at the sight of his shirt sleeve straining against his arm, his back muscles moving as he leaned over the top of the piano. Swallowing hard and suddenly wishing for a glass of water, Kate approached him from the other side.

  
“What are you doing?” Kate asked.

  
“Just checking out the back panel.” Seth said, turning his head to glance at her.

  
“Oh,” Kate responded, quietly. _He probably thinks you're an idiot. Obviously he's got to remove the panels to get a look at it._

  
“Okay, so, what’s the problem? Your daddy said something about a broken key?” Seth asked.

  
“Actually, it made this really horrible sound yesterday while I was teaching the younger kids. It was the _D_ key, I think.” Kate responded. Glancing down at her fingers, where she had them twisted together, she couldn't look him in the eye for too long without feeling flustered.

  
Seth noticed her reluctance to look him in the eye, but instead of commenting on it like he usually would, he turned back to the piano. Sitting down on the wooden bench, he pushed up the lid covering the keys, and began to play a simple tune.

  
“You play?” Kate gasped, disbelief coloring her face.

  
“Well, of course, can't fix a piano without knowing the ins and outs.” he grinned, turning to wink at her. “Also, my ma, she used to play. She taught me and Richie, my brother.”

  
“Really?” Kate whispered, tears filling her eyes suddenly. “My momma taught me to play as well.” Sniffing, she turned her head away. _Really Kate? Now you've gone and cried in front of him like a ninny._

  
Reaching for her handbag, Kate searched in vain for a handkerchief. Seth came up behind her, “Miss Kate, here.” he said, as he handed her his perfectly folded handkerchief.

  
“Thank you,” Kate whispered. “I’m so sorry, it's just... my momma died a few years ago. And I miss her, so much-” Kate stopped, breaking up on a sob. “And now all my friends have gotten married and moved away. My brother’s gone and --” Kate trailed off, embarrassed she had divulged something so personal to a complete stranger.

  
Kate was surprised to feel his hands on her shoulders and looked up in astonishment, to find his eyes steady on hers. The brown so deep she thought she might drown, the eyelashes framing them as black as night.

  
“I understand. There's no need to be ashamed, okay? We've all lost someone and it's inevitable that it will happen again. We all got a expiration date, ya know?”

  
Kate nodded, solemnly. Her eyes still glassy with unshed tears, the clear green of her irises surrounded by spiky eyelashes. Seth had never seen anything so beautiful. _Careful, my boy, you don't need to get involved, you’ll be up and outta this town in no time._

  
Seth shook himself mentally and got back to work on the piano, while Kate went out on the porch hoping some fresh air -- and space -- might help calm her down.

  
Kate walked through the tall waving grass toward the water pump, grabbing the handle and pushing it down with both hands until she heard the gush of the water hitting the inside of the metal bucket. Dipping Seth's hanky in the cool water she wiped the sticky, dried tears off her face, before bringing it around the back of her neck. Sighing in relief at the coolness of the water against her skin, Kate failed to notice Seth's dark eyes watching her at a distance.

  
Piano repairman certainly wouldn't have been Seth's first choice of job, or a cover, for that matter, but his ma _had_ taught him how to play the piano, and Richie thought it best if he at least looked like he knew what he was doing. Seth really had no clue how to repair them, but he had gone to the library a few towns over to pick up a book or two for research purposes. So at least now he had a semblance of knowledge about how pianos were put together, even if he didn't have any actual experience.

  
He and Richie had decided on _Griffin_ as their new last name, and so Seth Griffin, Piano Repairman, had been born. Who could have known that his first customer would be the pianist, Miss Kate Fuller. Once again, he was surprised at how quickly he found himself drawn to her. He wanted to protect her, make her laugh, be her friend -- _hell_. It was only their second meeting, and he knew he wanted to kiss her until they were both breathless, and her beautiful green eyes were hazy from wanting him.

  
_Shit._

  
How did he fall so deep so quickly?

  
Someone as hardened as him didn’t deserve such a winsome creature. He was a bad man -- _a thief, a killer. He shot and killed his own father -- for fuck’s sake!_ But _hell_ if he couldn't help but watch her as she cooled herself off at the water pump; the tall grass of the field swaying around her lithe form.

  
He had to have her, but at what cost to himself? Richie would definitely deride him over being distracted by a beautiful woman.

  
_Did you forget that this score will give us the ability to live like kings for the rest of our lives? We can't mess this up, Seth! We'll be as poor as dirt farmers without this take._

  
Shaking his head, Seth retreated back into the church. Making his way down the church's center aisle, the floorboards creaking under his feet, he sat back down at the piano, feigning industriousness. Hearing the softer sounds of Kate's progression back into the church -- the light click of her heels on wood, the quiet rustle of her hands brushing against her skirt -- he sat up straighter before turning to glance at her. Standing up, he crossed over to her side and looked down at her -- _God, she was tiny_ \-- and noticed she had missed a button on her dress, a glimpse of lace peeking out the top.

  
_Really, Seth? You're going to let a little piece of lace distract you._ But who was he kidding? Her innocence was what had drawn him in, like a moth to a flame.

  
Forcing himself to focus, he handed her an invoice.

  
“Well, It looks like we'll just have to order a new key --- for the piano. Do you think the Sunday congregation will be okay without their piano for one week?”

  
“I don't know if they will like it, but I guess they will just have to endure it,” Kate said with a shy smile, glancing up at him from under her lashes.

  
“Can you make sure your Father gets that, okay?”

  
“Alright,” Kate nodded readily.

  
“I'll call you--” Seth cleared his throat, _idiot_. “Er, your father when the part comes in.”  
Turning away he picked up his jacket and put it on, running his hands over the pockets as if he was looking for something missing.

  
“And Kate,” Seth said, with a smirk, glancing back down and gently touching her empty buttonhole, “You might want to fix that. Wouldn’t want to give someone the wrong idea.”

  
“Oh!” Kate blushed, immediately spinning around to button up her dress. Turning back to face him, she realized she was alone.

  
“Goodbye,” Kate whispered, to the dust motes dancing in the sunlight, suddenly realizing she was still holding onto his handkerchief. 


End file.
